


Let the Love Back in

by mariothellama



Series: Robert and Marco [2]
Category: Football RPF
Genre: AU setting, Anal Sex, Epiphany/Dreikönigstag, Established Relationship, Lots of angst but with a very happy ending!, M/M, Making Love, Professional Rivalry, Rough Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-05
Updated: 2017-01-05
Packaged: 2018-09-15 01:08:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9212753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mariothellama/pseuds/mariothellama
Summary: Robert has had a stupid, pointless fight with Marco and is wandering the streets of Munich cold and alone. How will he make things better again with Marco and can he save the very special day he had planned for them?





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Blue_Night](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blue_Night/gifts), [Janie94](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Janie94/gifts).



> My dear Blue_Night and Janie94 This story was always for the two of you, the two people responsible for me rediscovering my love of the wondrous amazing being that is Robert. The plot long predates 'Merry Christmas'. And see, I can write these two happy and fluffy (well kind of!)!!!!!!!!!!!
> 
> This is a sequel to 'Let the Poison Out' and the last of my holiday stories. The 6th of January is a holiday in many parts of the world, including Poland and parts of Germany.
> 
> Many cultures have a tradition of an Epiphany cake with a bean or charm hidden it and the one who finds the bean/charm is king for the day. The cakes are different all across Europe, but the cake in this story is the one I know, a fruited, spiced yeast dough, formed into seven buns and baked in a ring of six with the seventh, larger bun in the middle and sold with a golden crown.

Robert should have been at home, snuggled up warm and cosy with Marco, but instead he was walking the cold, dark, icy streets of Munich, the bright, twinkling Christmas lights making a mockery of the darkness and pain he felt inside. It was Epiphany, Dreikönigstag, or Trzech Króli if he was still in Poland, the last day of the holidays. This year it fell on a Friday and he and Marco had decided to spend this long weekend quietly together. They needed some time with each other, just the two of them after the time spent with their families and all the parties over Christmas and New Year. But Robert had had to go and ruin it. And now he was walking the streets alone.

Finally he couldn’t put it off any longer. The sun had set.  His hands and feet were starting to freeze. He would have to go home and apologise to Marco. His heart was heavy as he climbed the five flights of stairs to their penthouse flat with its stunning panoramic view over the rooftops of Munich. Of course he could have taken the elevator, but he was in no hurry to face Marco.

Their flat was cold and dark when Robert reluctantly turned his key in the lock and pushed open the door, almost as cold and dark as it was outside. He hurried through to the living room to find Marco exactly where he had left him almost two hours ago. He rushed towards him, all of his anger and annoyance forgotten as he realised that something was badly wrong. He dropped to his knees before Marco, cradling his face in his hands.

Marco lifted his head, looking at Robert with a blank, empty expression in his eyes. Robert knew that expression, the one that always made him feel sick to his stomach and chilled to his bones.

‘I need you to fuck the love back into me, Robert,’ was all that Marco said.

***

Robert took a moment to make things as comfortable as possible for them, turning the heating up full and spreading a warm, fluffy blanket on the floor. He switched on the Christmas tree and lit dozens of candles, bathing the room in the soft, flickering glow of candlelight.

He laid Marco down ever so gently, undressing him as slowly as he could, covering every inch of pale skin that was gradually revealed with hot, wet, feverish kisses. He tore off his own clothes as quickly as possible before settling back on his heels to gaze at Marco in reverence. Marco lay there naked before him, his pale skin gleaming in the light of a dozen candles like a shimmering angel in a renaissance painting.

The soft light played over the lines of the intricate tattoos that were normally kept strictly hidden under Marco’s sober business suits. The black diamonds in his ears that glinted in the dimly lit room were also reserved for the privileged few who were allowed to know the real Marco. Robert swallowed hard. Marco let him see his real self, not the polished professional façade he kept up at work. That was a precious gift. That was the gift that Robert should always prize and cherish and never risk tarnishing. He knew that now.

Robert didn’t want to do this. He wanted to make love to Marco, to show him how precious he was with every stroke, every thrust. But Marco knew him too well after all these years together. Marco could read his expression like an open book.

‘You can make love to me if you want, Robert. I won’t stop you, you know that. But it’s not what I want. It’s not what I need. It’s not what I have consented to.’

Robert sighed. As painful as it was for him, he owed Marco this. It was the way they had found to manage their situation, for Marco to deal with his anger and frustrations and not let them poison him and their relationship. And it was Robert who had broken the rules this time. So he owed Marco this.

‘On all fours then!’ ordered Robert.

Marco obeyed and Robert was almost undone by the sight of just how beautiful Marco was like this. But he knew that this couldn’t be beautiful, that that wouldn’t give Marco what he needed.

Marco wouldn’t want him to prepare him; that would be too intimate, too much like making love. So he spread a generous amount of lube over Marco’s entrance in the vain hopes of making this easier on him, before slathering himself in as much lube as possible.

He took a deep breath, taking a firm grasp of Marco’s hips before pushing into him. He heard Marco’s hiss of pain as Robert forced himself through the tight ring of muscle. He gritted his teeth and concentrated on sinking into Marco as slowly and steadily as possible, never hesitating, even though the sound of Marco’s faint whimpers almost broke his heart. Robert paused when he was all the way inside, giving Marco time to adjust. He breathed a sigh of relief when the whimpering stopped, when he finally felt Marco begin to relax around him.

But this was the worst bit for Robert. It always was. He was strong enough to give the man he loved what he needed, to make him feel something again rather than the dark nothingness which at times threatened to consume him. He was strong enough to do this to make the relationship that meant everything to him happy and healthy. But Robert hated the fact that he took pleasure from it. He hated himself for taking pleasure from it. But how could he not, seeing Marco laid out like this before him, feeling Marco hot, tight and clenching round him?

He thrust in and out of Marco as hard as possible, fucking him rough and raw. Marco’s body was buckling with the force, he was struggling to keep his weight braced on his arms against every ferocious thrust inside him. But Marco’s head was up, his mouth open and he responded to each and every one of Robert’s thrusts with a hoarse, animalistic, guttural cry of pleasure. This was working.

Robert pushed down on the curve of Marco’s back, forcing Marco into a position where he could slam into his prostrate with every thrust. This wouldn’t take long now. And Robert was right. Marco came with a loud, strangled scream and the feeling of Marco pulsing and twitching round him was enough to push Robert over the edge, however unwillingly.

Then Robert had to watch as Marco began to cry silently, only the slight shaking of his shoulders betraying the fact that his cheeks would be wet with hot, painful tears of shame and frustration. Of everything that had happened tonight, this was the part that Robert hated most. But he knew that this was Marco’s real release; that he had to let all of these poisonous feelings out in order to be able to love again.

But it was worth it as Marco lay happy and smiling in his arms afterwards, as he saw the light and the love shining out of those fascinating, ever-changing varicoloured amber eyes. As he heard Marco whisper the words he always said, the words that were part of their ritual, ‘Thank you, Robert. For everything.’ He had his beautiful, loving Marco back and he would do whatever it took to keep him.

He heard Marco whisper ‘I’m sorry.’

‘No, it’s me who should be sorry, Marco, it was my fault.’

And the truth was that Robert meant it. At first he had been angry with Marco for overreacting to Robert’s simple comment that their lives would have been so much easier, that there would be no stress and tension between them, if Marco had just made the decision to join him at the world-leading firm of investment bankers Rummenigge Brothers all those years ago. That was why Robert had stormed out of their flat calling Marco childish and immature.

Robert knew that he had been unfair. Marco was every bit as competitive and ambitious as he was. But Marco had made his peace with his decision long ago and they had found their own unique way to deal with the times when the unavoidable rivalry flared up between them. Robert should have respected Marco and his decision. He should have been happy that Marco had chosen to share his life with him, despite their rivalry, not reopened old wounds.

And what was worse was that he had ruined what had been meant to be a special day.

‘I ruined everything, Marco. I’m sorry.’

‘No you didn’t,’ Marco smiled up at him, ‘everything is perfect. And we have the rest of the weekend together.’

‘You don’t understand … ’ Robert broke off, excusing himself for a moment.

He came back, still completely naked, wearing a gold paper crown and carrying something.

Marco had to laugh. ‘You look cute – and kind of hot – wearing that crown and nothing else.’

Robert knelt down beside him, ceremonially placing the crown on Marco’s head.

‘Ooooh, you have cake for us. Good, I’m hungry.’ Marco reached for the plate Robert had been carrying, but Robert stopped him. He ignored the outer ring of six fruited spiced buns topped with sugar crystals, going straight for the seventh large one in the centre, breaking it in two and handing half to Marco.

Marco was about to bite into it when a loud cough from Robert stopped him. Marco looked down and saw the gleam of a ring, a perfect shining circle of white gold studded with black diamonds.

He looked at Robert, his eyes shining. ‘Is this …? Do you …?’

Robert took the ring, slipping it onto Marco’s finger. ‘Yes, if you’ll have me. I know that asking you to become my registered life partner isn’t as romantic as a marriage proposal, but I thought that you’d still like a ring. I chose it to match your favourite earrings.’

‘So you just want us to get married for the tax benefits,’ joked Marco, but the happiness in his eyes and the way he moved his hand so that the ring on his finger reflected the candlelight betrayed just how happy he was.

They kissed, long, deep and wet, savouring the taste of each other’s mouths, something they could never get enough of. This time they let their arousal build slowly, enjoying the delicious tension of their growing need for each other until it became just too painfully pleasurable to bear.

Robert went to turn over. Marco always took him when they made love after he’d fucked Marco as Robert hated the thought of perhaps hurting the man he loved again. But this time Marco stopped him. ‘I want to feel you inside me, Robert. But be gentle with me.’

And Robert was gentle with him, so very gentle, treating Marco like the most precious piece of the strong but fragile porcelain that his skin so closely resembled. He prepared him until Marco was begging and groaning for more, his legs wide apart and his hips arching towards Robert with every caress of his fingers inside him. And then Robert sank slowly and deeply into the welcoming body of the man who was his whole world, looking deep into the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen, eyes that were glowing with love and happiness.

He thrust gently into Marco, sending wave after wave of soft, gentle all-consuming pleasure surging through both of their bodies as Marco wrapped his legs and one arm around him. One arm because Marco had his other hand on Robert’s shoulder so that he could look at Robert and the gleaming ring on his finger while they made love.

Robert wanted to make this last forever, but he knew that he had to be careful with Marco, that he would still be sore and sensitive. So he slipped a hand between their hot, sweaty bodies, stroking Marco to his orgasm, making sure that they both came together, with the other’s name on their lips.

Robert collapsed onto Marco’s chest, overcome with emotion, and Marco held him close and tight, keeping him safe and secure as he tenderly stroked his short, dark hair. For the truth was that Marco was Robert’s strength and his refuge. He couldn’t do this, he couldn’t deal with the constant pressure of life in a world where failure was not acceptable without Marco to come home to. So this time it was him who had to say it, ‘Thank you, Marco. For everything.’


End file.
